Coincidence
by black-magic-temptress
Summary: A perfect student, an obedient daughter, a loveing sister losses her parents in a car accident and goes bad. Robs a bank kills a father of three and losses her only sibling in one day. So, she pays her due and moves on. But she'll soon learn she can't.


Coincidence By: Kasey L. Hannan 

"No, we don't have time for jewelry just grab the cash and let's get out of here, Ryan," yelled at Sandra across the room. The 15-year-old kid threw the money into the bag as fast as he could running back and forth in and out of the bank's safe. Sandra an average size woman with dark red hair held the large handgun with both hands pointing it all around the room at the numerous people laying on the floor, by her orders.

"Stay down, or so help me god I will shoot you dead," a single tear ran down her face. The tear wasn't from her being sad but from fear, so many scenarios running thru her head. She saw her self a month from now been in a new car with a different identity with her brother by her side and they got away with it all. Or, would she be shot by a police officer at any second never to wake up from her sleep. Would she be hauled off to jail never to be let out? She was only 17-years-old she had never had a real relationship. She had never even been in love. The one tear represented the nervousness in her head and the speeding of her heart beet. Her hands were now sweaty and the handgun started to shake as she yelled back at her brother again to hurry up.

"Done, let's go," Ryan yelled closing the safe and picking up the heavy cloth bag full of cash that he threw over his shoulder. Ryan and his sister headed for the door as he, came around the corner.

"Put the money down." A middle age man yelled holding a rifle to Ryan's head.

"Put the money down," the man yelled again.

"Ryan, just put the money down, Ok." Sandra said yelling now pointing the gun at the man aiming the gun directly at Ryan's head across the room from her.

"I don't want you to get hurt. Just put it down Ryan." She repeated.

"Come on kid put the money down and I won't shoot." The man said again looking very serious.

"No, I'm not going to put it down. It's mine. It's mine!" he yelled looking at his sister. BAM. One shot made and Ryan's lifeless body fell to the floor. Sandra could feel her heart beet in the pit of her stomach and then in the palm of her hand. Her hands trembled until it happened. The metal of the gun felt cold to the touch. She had pulled the trigger... she had pulled the trigger 10 times. The middle-aged man was now on the floor shaking and twitching. The gun dropped from her hands and she fell to her knees.

She crawled across the floor until she reached her brother's solemn body. She picked up his head and laid it in her lap. The money was all over the floor. It had all been soaked in blood. She cried and cried until she heard the sounds of sirens echoing in the background. She had no need to live she thought. She reached for the handgun, she raised the gun to her timple and she pulled the trigger. Nothing came out of the barrel. The gun had been emptied of its contents.

The sirens sounded in the background and the gun was the pinch she needed to wake up from this nightmare. But this was one bad dream she wouldn't escape. The sirens became louder until the sound surrounded her. She dropped the gun and raised her arms in the air and the tears still didn't stop.

A police officer stood behind her and ordered her to stand up. The police officer kicked the gun away from her feet and handcuffed her hands behind her back. The police officer pulled her to her feet and said to her, "You have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney if you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand your rights?"

"Yes," she whispered nearly unable to speak. She felt as if she had been sucked of her life and thrown away and unwanted.

The officer led her out of the bank where she was then seated in the back of his squad car. The tears kept coming down. Except this time it burned as if she were crying tears of blood.

Only two short months ago she had she had graduated high school with honors and had received a full scholarship to Harvard law. And only two weeks after graduation both of her parents had died in an awful car accident. Every thing went down hill from there. No school, No money, No happiness at all. So she wanted to leave and she would do anything to leave. Money. Money was the answer, money was the only way. It's the one thing that everyone needs and no one has. Not in her neighbor hood not in her life any more. So she wanted to save her brother just as much as she wanted to save herself.

So this morning she decided today was the day today she would make it all go away. So she handed her brother a cloth bag and she told him what they were going to do. As they drove to the bank she now stared at from the back of the police car she had no doubts at all. She walked into the bank with her brother by her side and her gun in hand the only thing daddy had left her. She could have never imagined that she would walk back out of the bank without her brother. And suddenly it hit her that her brother wasn't the only one who had died in that instance.

She had taken a man's life. She was a murderer and she couldn't bring him back. All she wanted to do was do it all over again. On second thought she didn't want to do it at all. She wanted to go back to that night at graduation when her parents and her brother were by her side and they were so proud of her. Her mother's dark red hair pulled back in a bun and she was wearing a fragrant perfume that smelled like oranges in spring. Her father wearing a gray suit with a blue tie she had bought him for his birthday. And her annoying little brother with his eyebrow pierced, and his hair spiked up with blue tips. She was so happy this was one time when nothing would go wrong. But if they were looking down at her what would they think of her now. They would be so ashamed, they wouldn't love her anymore, and they would hate her.

She blinked a few times and came back to reality. The car started to move as she stared out of the side window unable to think, unable to speak, and unable to move. They drove by supermarkets and stores. They drove thru a small neighborhood and by a big house at the corner of the street. Outside in the yard was a father a mother and their two children, a son and a daughter. She thought what if he had a wife? What if the man she killed had children? How would his kids survive without him? She couldn't survive without her father. Look what she had done after she had lost her parents. Sandra again started to weep and was soon filled with agony and was beyond anger. There was a rift in her soul that seemed to be getting bigger with every tear.

Before long they had reached the prison and she was escorted into the building. Then thru a series of hallways and pushed into a cell. She sat down on an empty bunk and lay back on the paper-thin mattress.

"What are you in for?" a large woman across the room on the bottom bunk asked Sandra.

"Well I almost robbed a bank and in the process my brother was killed and I took a man's life. After that I tried to kill myself the only problem was I didn't have any bullets left." Sandra said staring at the bunk above her.

Two months had gone by. Two awful flea ridden months, full of anger and regret but now she was being tried and it would determine whether or not she would stay in that hell hole they called prison. Her life seemed abridged and useless. She was pulled out of her cell and walked out of the building with her hands now cuffed behind of her back. She was placed in the cop car and driven to the courthouse. On the way to the courthouse she kept her head down in shame. When they finally reached their destination Sandra was escorted out of the car and up the stairs. As she walked up the stairs heartbeat by heartbeat, breath-by-breath she hid her face from the flashing cameras all around her. She finally reached the large glass doors at the top of the stairs and was pushed into the large room.

The floor had a glossy finish over the hard wood floor. The walls were covered with portraits of all the past and present judges that worked in the courthouse; each portrait had the names of the judges. She looked up at the tall walls towering over her glaring down with a look of utter disgrace. She was then led down twelve hallways one right after the other until she reached a midsize pair of double doors. The doors were pushed open by two security guards as she was led down the center isle.

She was then pushed behind a small desk and she stood as straight as she could staring at the judge as she was filled with great dignity and honor and yet Sandra thought that she had seen her face before. And there at the edge of her trite desk sat a nametag that red Judge Dorothy Smith.

Dorothy Smith, Dorothy smith the name ran threw her head over and over until it finally struck her where she had heard that name before. It was in her second semester of senior year and she was taking a class on the media and major headlines. Her first assignment was to report on an article about a quadruple murder. A man named Travis Wellington murdered his mother, his sister, and his wife with a 12-inch butcher knife. The judge that looked over Travis's trial was judge Dorothy Smith. At the end of the trial he was found guilty and given the death penalty. Judge Smith was a fond believer in the death penalty. She once said that the taxpayers of the country shouldn't have to pay to feed and house a convicted felon. So this judge would never consider "life in prison".

Back to reality, she now became a little more nervous fearing that she would automatically receive the death penalty. Her attorney stood by her side as the judge glared down at Sandra.

"In the case of Sandra Douglas vs. the State of Arizona. Sandra Douglas, how do you plead?" the judge asked putting on a small pair of reading glasses.

"Guilty, your honor," she said staring up at the judge. In all the trial lasted 6 months and in that time Sandra found out that Ruben Morse was the name of the man she killed, he was a security guard for the bank, he was a loving husband and father of three, (two sons and a daughter) he was a huge Yankee's baseball fan, and he was a lover of all things science-fiction.

She never once thru the entire trial cried a single tear, but inside she was balling like a baby. Every night after each day of sitting in the courtroom she was taken back to her cell and locked away. For six months she did this and for six months she waited quiet and collected.

Finally the day came when she would know what it feels like to be judged. She sat behind that same small desk praying to God or who ever were up there listening.

"Has the Jury reached a verdict?" the judge said.

A jury member stood up and announced, "Yes your honor we have. In the case of Sandra Douglas vs. the State of Arizona we the jury find Sandra Douglas ... Guilty of manslaughter."

"No!" Sandra couldn't control her feelings she had held them in for the last six months.

"I am so sorry, I'm sorry for what I've done, I'm sorry for who I've become, I'm sorry that this happened, I'm so very sorry!" She yelled with tears pouring out of her eyes and now sinking to her knees. She was then pulled up from the floor by the bailiff. As soon as she was standing up right again you didn't hear a peep out of her though the water cascading down her cheeks didn't cease.

"Sentencing is scheduled August 23, one week from today. Court is adjourned." Said the judge banging the gavel and departing to her chamber. Sandra was put back into her cell and again she waited. Waiting with no hope, waiting with no faith, waiting because that's all she really could do. Shooting arrows of anger at anyone who looked her way.

The day came and she was hauled back into the courtroom. That God-forsaken desk that she sat behind haunted her dreams and controlled her thoughts. She never wanted to see that desk again no matter what torture she had to go thru.

"My decision was widely effected by Sandra's age, the loss of her mother and father, and the pain she has already endured with the lose of her brother. Sandra Douglas I sentence you to 8 years in jail with absolutely no chance of probation." The judge said and began to return to her chamber after banging the gavel. But before she could reach her chamber door Sandra yelled out,

"Why? Why couldn't you just give me death? I just want to die. Take pity on me and put me out of my misery."

"Now why would I do that, then you would have an easy way out. But you need to suffer like your victims family did. Your parents died in an accident, but you took a father from his children." The judge said as she entered her chamber and slammed the door behind her. Back to the cell she went, and for eight years she became taller, and her hair grew long. She became wiser than she ever was and learned self-defense. She had been thru hell and now she was being let out of her cage.

An officer came to her cell and pulled her out he led her into a room and removed her handcuffs. She was handed her clothes and then escorted out of the building. Free. Free after 8 years and now what would she do with her life. All she had was a hundred dollar bill wadded up in her back pocket and that is all she would keep from her past. She decided now is the time to start over and that everything that happened in the past would be left there.

She went to a payphone at the corner of a near by intersection and called a taxi. When the taxi reached her location it drove her home and after the cab dropped her off she paid the driver and walked back to the front door she hadn't seen in 8 years and 8 months. She pulled a key chain from her pocket and unlocked the door. The entire house was clean and neat. That is the opposite of how she left it.

"Hello, is anyone in here?" Sandra looked around in utter bewilderment.

"Hey, in here!" A familiar voice yelled from the kitchen. Sandra walked into the kitchen and stared at the young woman and the two little girls sitting at the table coloring in a coloring book.

"Caroline, Caroline Wilson? I haven't seen you since I was fourteen! How have you been?" Sandra asked with a big smile on her face.

"I'm good. These are my daughters Teena is 7 and Teresa is five." Caroline said staring down at her daughter's drawings.

"So, when did you move in here?" Sandra asked and headed for the refrigerator.

"Well, three months after Teresa was born my husband filled for a divorce because it turns out that he was seeing my sister. Then the three of us moved into your parent's house because we had nowhere to stay, and the house was going to be auctioned off. And luckily I had also just gotten a new job in the area that pays more than enough for us to stay here. Oh and by the way the bank has been calling for you for about a week now and they said that it is very important that you call them." Caroline said handing Sandra a small notepad with a number.

"Thanks, that's all I need bill collectors," she said walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch next to the phone. Sandra dialed the number and waited for some one on the other end to answer.

"Hello, my name is Sandra Douglas and I'm looking for a Mr. O'Haira."

"Yes, this is Mr. O'Haira and I've been needing to talk to you for sometime now. I understand that you have been having some troubles. But, everyone has his or her problems. This may come as a shock but since both of your parents died and your mother didn't have any siblings you just inherited 12 million dollars from your grandfather." Said the voice on the other end.

"Excuse me? How did this happen?" She asked in amazement.

"You see you grandfather invested in a rather small computer company when he was much younger. That tiny computer company got bigger and bigger and now that company is a multi-billion dollar corporation. Your grandfather invested in this business all his life and as it grew and grew and so did the sum of money he was to receive in return. Three months ago your grandfather sold all his stock for 35 million dollars. And two-weeks ago he passed away of natural causes. The next one down the line to receive his money would be your mother and I've already said your mother had no siblings then you are the next one down the line. There is a bank account that is now in your name that contains your inherited money," then he gave her the information about her account and then told her to have a nice day as he hung up the phone.

Sandra hung up the phone and walked back into the kitchen and she was so happy that she started to cry.

"Caroline, I just inherited 35 million dollars. 35 million dollars. 35 Million Dollars!" Sandra said yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Are you kidding me? You've got to be kidding me." Caroline said with a huge smile on her face.

"Nope. Something about how my grandfather died and I'm the next one down the line for all his money." She said wondering what she would do with all the money.

"35 million dollars wow. What are you going to do with all that money?" Caroline asked picking up Teresa and holding Teresa in her arms. Caroline took Teena by the hand and carried Teresa to one of the three back bedrooms and put them to sleep for their nap. Caroline walked back in the kitchen and sat down at the table across from Sandra.

"Tomorrow is Monday, right?" Sandra said biting at her nails.

"Well yes it is but what does that have to do with it?" Caroline asked looking at her cousin across the table.

"Your daughters, they'll be going to school tomorrow, right?" Sandra said still chewing her nails.

"Yes, they are both in school until 2:00p.m." Caroline said with a look of bewilderment.

"Let's move. Let's move to somewhere else. Somewhere up north. Where it snows every winter, and I can go to college. I can buy a big house were we can all live. Tomorrow let's call some one, a real estate agent, let's sell this old house full of horrible memories from the past. I want to move on. Face it there is nothing left for us here. You're a smart woman, get a new job. Yet all the money I have now you really don't have to work at all. Come on take a chance, it's only November if we go now we can have a fresh start at the beginning of the year. Please, I beg of you, I don't want to go alone. I have been alone for 9 years, I don't want to be alone anymore." Sandra said fiddling with her fingers.

"Fine, tomorrow we'll call a real estate agent and we'll sell the house. After I drop the girls off at school. Don't expect them to be happy though." Caroline said walking out of the room.

The next morning Caroline woke her children and readied them for school. After she dropped them off at school she hurried home to wake up Sandra. When she had finally reached home Sandra was singing in the shower. You could hear Sandra "singing" a mile away.

Caroline opened the bathroom door and stuck her head in "Would you stop with all the racket, you're going to drive me crazy." Caroline said laughing.

"Oh, Bite me!" Sandra said back also laughing.

"Hurry up. I made an appointment last night, get a move on." Caroline said shutting the bathroom door and departing to the living room. Sandra finally got out of the shower and got dressed. When she was ready they left for the quaint little business that Caroline had chosen. They walked thru the regular size glass doors at the entrance.

They were then led to a small desk and behind it sat a middle-age woman with rather large spectacles, her hair pulled back and she was wearing a heavy gray sweater and a navy blue skirt that went past her ankles. Sandra stared down at the desk that she was almost afraid of, She was reluctant but, she sat down.

"Good morning. My name is Sally O'Neal and I'm your real estate agent." The woman behind the desk said as she shook hands with both Sandra and Caroline.

"We are looking to sell our house for the best offer and then buy another one." Said Caroline with a big smile on her face.

"Here is the information on our house for the buyers. And this is the number you can reach us at." Sandra said handing the woman a pile of papers. The woman began to sort thru the papers,

"Do either of you have bad credit, are in debt to any companies, and also are you behind on any of your bills?" Sally asked looking up at the two women.

"Nope. Our slates are clean. We've never had any trouble with our bills before." Caroline said still smiling.

"Ok, well this has been eventful. I'll call you if I receive any offers and to set up an open house.

They waited for 2 weeks and then they had the open house. Caroline took her children out to eat while Sandra stayed at home to tour the house. The open house went well and there were 10 offers made. They chose the best and sold the house but before they did they went back to their real estate agent to buy a house.

They chose a large two-story 5-bedroom house in New Hampshire that had a swimming pool in the backyard and a playground right across the street. Caroline and Sandra packed up all their belongings as fast as they possibly could. After a week of packing they where ready for the long drive from Arizona to New Hampshire. The trip lasted 168 hours in all. They stopped three times during the trip at a hotel and stopped every five hours for snacks or bathroom emergencies.

Teena and Teresa throughout most of the trip sat in the back coloring and reading books. They as young as they were, were oblivious to the fact that they were being moved all the way across the country. During the trip Teresa and Teena established that they would from then on call Sandra, Aunt Sandy. When they finally reached the house it was around midnight on the seventh night. The girls were both asleep and so was Caroline. Sandra pulled the moving van into the driveway and stared at her new life. That house, that town where no one knew what she had done, no one knew whom she had hurt, and boy was she wrong.

She thought back to that courtroom and every time in those six months that she looked back at his family. But not quite all of his family, the judge said once that he had two sons one that was the same age as her, a son that was 12, and a daughter that was a few years younger than her. Every morning in the center of the second row on the other side of the courtroom sat Ruben's wife, his youngest son and his daughter. Every morning the three of them would come but never the oldest brother. Sandra never understood why he never came but nonetheless he never came. Sandra soon drifted off to sleep while still sitting in the driver's seat.

"Aunt Sandy! Wake up we're here. I went to sleep and when I woke up we were at our new house. Look, look isn't it pretty and there is snow on the ground, I've never seen snow except for in books. And mommy said that I needed to wake you up because you have the key. So come on let's go in," Teena said opening the van door, jumping into Sandra's lap and bouncing up and down.

"Okay, Okay I'm coming." Sandra said picking up the little seven year old and placing her on the ground. Sandra stretched and slid out of the van that was rather far up from the ground. Once she was out of the van and closed the door and she pulled a key chain out of her back pocket. The key chain had a tiny gavel, a portrait of her family, a tiny scroll, and a miniature puppy dog. Also she had an Eiffel tower, a little pyramid, and a tiny mountain peek. (She also had one key, the one key to her new house). She reached the door and there by her side stood the two little girls and Caroline filled with anticipation. Sandra stuck the key in the hole and turned the knob. She pushed the door open and stood in amazement. "It's so big. I've never seen a house so big before." Teresa said in astonishment. "It's absolutely amazing, I love it." Caroline said walking into the house. They all walked into the house and looked around. As they walked in the pale blue walls, the hard wood floor, and the fireplace in the living room greeted them. The two young girls ran up the beautiful cherry wood staircase looking for their bedrooms. Sandra drifted off down a narrow hallway that was also the same shade of blue and that led straight to the dinning room. In the far side of the dinning room there was a large window that was pushed out from the wall. At the base of the windowpane was a window seat that had a blue cushion embroidered with velvet. There was a huge crystal chandelier in the center of the ceiling, other than that the room was empty. Meanwhile, Caroline was in the Kitchen admiring the state of the art refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove. There were beautiful marble countertops and the same attractive hard wood floor. Then both of the women met at the foot of the enchanting staircase. They walked slowly up the stairs, not a single creak. When they finally reached the top of the stairs they each went to every room looking in every room and skulking out every bathroom. After everyone had picked out their own bedroom they soon began to unload the van. They didn't have nearly enough things to fill up the house so they would later buy all kinds of things to compensate for the space.

A few weeks after they had gotten settled in to their new home, bought two new cars, and when Christmas was over Sandra got serious. She started applying for college. After a few months she received a few letters in the mail stating that she had been accepted to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Notre Dame. See was completely over whelmed that she had been accepted to these Ivy League schools, and she didn't know which one she wanted to go to. Money was no object so she could pick any of them. Harvard was the closest, only 15 minutes away so that was the one she chose. Besides, Harvard was a very prestigious school. She was to start school on the 5th of August.

She was starting off new and she decided to change her appearance by dying her hair blonde, getting her teeth whitened, switching to green contacts to cover up her hazel eyes, and going out and buying new clothes. Maybe she could fabricate her pain by putting on designer clothes. She had this immense pain of being alone; she wasn't completely alone after all she did have Caroline, Teresa, and Tessa. She had been loved before but she had never been in love before. In High School she had many boyfriends of course not at the same time but she never loved any of them. They were just for show how would it look if a girl that pretty never had any boyfriends. She went out with them once in a while but that's as far as it went she had never even kissed any of them. She was alone and she felt empty. But as chance would have it she wouldn't be alone for to long.

August 5th came too fast and she was very much prepared. She had read all the books on Harvard's suggested summer book list some included ones she would be using for the school year to come. She was completely aware of all the responsibility she was taking on after all she took summer classes in High School so that she would graduate at sixteen, which of course she did. She was 25 years old and she was entering the most prestige school in America and yet she knew every thing there was to know about taking classes and notes. She studied so hard in high school she didn't have time for a social life and boys. She didn't take the time to smell the roses she mowed over them when she had her orders to. She needed to slow down, she needed to stop for once and look at her surroundings. Take a glimpse of the view or maybe just take a deep breath. Of course you'd think that a woman who had been in jail for nearly nine years would take the time to do such things but no she didn't she hadn't ever and she showed no signs of trying.

The morning she left for school she was up so early that every one in the house was still asleep and that's saying something because Caroline was always up at four o'clock preparing her self and her children. Sandra woke up at around two and rushed to the shower. She wore her best out fit. She was beyond excited; she was like a little child preparing for their first day of preschool. After she got dressed she made herself a pot of coffee, once it was ready she poured herself a glass which of course included sugar and hazelnut flavored cream. She took her mug out with her as she walked out to the front door and stared thru the glass window at the top of the door as she stood on her tippy toes.

Three weeks earlier she had gone and gotten her self a car. She didn't want anything fancy or anything people would be interested in steeling. It was a brand new 2005 royal blue Ford Focus. She did however want an expensive interior, which of course came with a car alarm. She had Italian Leather seating upholstery and a kickin' sound system. The sound system included a cd player, xm radio, tape player and all together ten booming speakers. DVD player in the back seat and headphones for those occupying it. Last but not least she had an awesome paint job. There was a silver metallic base with metallic blue flames on either side and she had her first name in Japanese on the hood of the car in black. She had never driven a car as nice as this before and now the nicest car she had ever driven is the first one she had ever owned. She turned from the front door and saw Teresa coming down the stairs.

"Aunt Sandy," Teresa said yawning, "Why are you up so early. You're never up early your always asleep in the morning time. The sun comes up but you don't. Why is that" she finished as she reached her aunt's feet.

"Well you see," Sandra started, "when I was younger older that you I made a few booboos. I hurt some people's...feelings and then I was sent to a place where I was in time out for a long time. Every day I was there I had to get up soooooo early that I got up before the Sun.," she said picking up Teresa and carrying her into the kitchen.

"Is your mommy up yet?" Sandra asked putting two pop tarts into the toaster.

"Yes, she is already up and now she is in the shower but sissy is still esleep." Teresa said staring unknowingly at the pop tarts.

"Well your mommy will wake her up when she gets out of the shower," Sandra said pulling the warm pastries out of the toasters, placing them on a paper plate, and putting the plate in front of the little girl. "I have to go to school now tell your mommy that I'll call after I get home." Sandra said pulling her book bag onto her shoulder and kissed the girl on the forehead and walking out the front door.

When she reached the campus she had to pull out a map to find her way to her classes. Her first few classes went by fast and she was more than ready for lunch. Though she was soon ready for it to be over. She had her book bag hung over one shoulder as she carried her lunch to a table out on the patio. She was walking toward the patio when she accidentally bumped into a guy. The contents of her tray were spread out between the two of them. Sandra Had ketchup all over her designer shirt and the other man had coke from the collar of his shirt to the in seam of his pants. He was very attractive he had spiked brown hair and he was muscular. He had piercing blue eyes and small goatee. He was about six feet tall and had peaches and cream skin.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. It's my first day and I..." she said near tears.

"It's ok, it's ok, don't have a heart attack it was just an accident. Hi, I'm Devon." He said sticking his hand out to shake her's. She reluctantly shook his hand. Sandra and he picked everything up and threw it away.

"I hope I see you around sometime." Devon said smiling and turning to walk the other way.

"Yah, I hope I see you too." She said turning and walking the other way.

The day was soon over after a few more hours. By that time Sandra was so happy that some genius invented the voice recorder. She reached her car and threw her bag onto the passenger seat. She pulled out of her parking spot just as her recorder fell onto the floor and just as she reached down to get it she backed into another car. Sandra slammed onto the brakes. She couldn't believe her luck first the thing at lunch and now this.

"I'm really sorry, It's my first day and..." Sandra said now out of her car walking toward the car she hit.

"Stop, stop I've heard this once before today." Said Devon as he scouted out of the driver's seat.

"Oh my god it's you, Devon right?" she asked as she walked closer.

"Yah but I never got your name, so what is it?" he said looking down at the damage to his back bumper.

"I'm Sandra," she said now reaching for her wallet. "So how much do you think the damage is worth? I'll pay you up front."

"No, I don't want your money and it's not all that bad. Why don't you let me take you for a cup of coffee and we'll call it even." He said walking back towards his car.

"Ok," she said with a big smile, "I'll follow you to a place.

"Ok," he replied as they drove off down the street.

She followed him for about ten blocks until they stopped at a Starbucks. They entered together and he opened the door for her like a gentlemen.

They both went to the counter and ordered a drink and after words the sat down in an isolated table in the corner of the coffee shop.

"So where do you hail from." Devon asked sipping his coffee.

_Oh god _she thought _what do I say, what should I tell him, do I lie to him? What if he recognizes me? That was almost ten years ago and he's all the way up here in New Hampshire he wouldn't have heard of the trial. I have to put it in my past go on Sandra tell him the truth_ she thought.

"I'm from a little town in Arizona out side of Phoenix called Peoria." She said stirring her coffee with a small plastic spoon.

"Really," he said, "I'm from Glendale, Arizona what a small world." He said as Sandra's heart began to race. And she laughed a nervous laugh.

"So how did you come to Harvard?" Sandra said looking over at Devon scratching his head.

"Well my father passed away when I was younger and he had a college fund put away for me but it turns out that I didn't even need it cause I got a full scholarship so I used money to get a really nice apartment. And I don't even have to live with a roommate" He said proudly.

"Oh, get off your high horse." Sandra replied.

"Ok, so how did you get here?" he asked Sandra with a smile.

"I, well, I inherited 35 million dollars and I got to pick which school I got to go to. And I own my own house where my cousin and her two daughters live with me." Sandra said looking down at her shoes.

"Well that's what I call beating around the bush." He said laughing and then Sandra giggled back.

Sandra turned and looked out the big glass windows and the sun was starting to go down. "I think I should be getting home soon." She said picking up her backpack and her drink and starting to walk towards the door. He followed quickly behind.

"I'll follow you home, so that I know you got there safe." He said putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Ok, fine but your not my lost puppy dog," she said laughing.

Soon they had reached her house.

"Wow, this is a really nice neighborhood. Especially your house," he following her by foot to her door.

Soon they were standing face to face on her doorstep.

"Has anybody told you that you are beautiful today?" he brushing her bangs back behind her ear.

"Is that line supposed to get all the girls?" she asked giggling.

"No," he said, "just this girl." Sandra began to blush and Devon leaned in and kissed her on cheek. Sandra pulled out a pin from her pocket and wrote her phone number on the palm of his hand.

"This is the part where I go inside and you go home." She said putting the pin back into her pocket. She began to unlock her door as he walked towards his car she had her eyes on him the whole time. She stumbled into the door and dropped her book bag onto the floor.

"Who was that?" Caroline asked sitting on the living room couch drinking tea.

"His name is Devon and I met him at school. Another thing what are you my mother?" Sandra said walking up the stairs to her room dragging her book bag behind her. She did all her homework real quick and then she couldn't decide what she wanted to do. She walked out onto her balcony and sat on her antique chair staring out at the view. Her balcony faced the street and she didn't mind much. She lounged out and looked around looking for something she might have missed. There it was. It was an iron ladder that lead from the yard at the way to the roof. She got up from her chair and began to inspect the ladder to see if it was safe. She began to climb up it until she reached the roof. She crawled across the roof until she reached the high point and there she propped her self up against it. She stared up at the stars and the crescent moon unable to stop thinking about Devon. She felt so happy and she had this huge smile on. After an hour or so she climbed back down from the roof and soon went to bed.

The next morning she woke up not too early, she showered, dressed and soon left for school. When she pulled into the parking lot she saw Devon talking to a bunch of his friends. She walked right past the group and one of the guys whistled at her and Devon proceeded to punch him in the arm. Devon turned and ran to catch up with Sandra.

"So, how was your night?" Devon asked.

"I didn't sleep much last night," she replied pulling the other strap of her backpack on.

"Yah, me neither." He said looking back at his group of friends. "You know I read this poem the other day you think that I can e-mail it to you?" he finished.

"Yah, sure but I don't have e-mail." she said looking at him.

"Well, do you have internet?" He said grabbing her arm and stopping her abruptly.

"Yes of course I do but I've been meaning to buy a laptop forever now. And even if I where to get one I don't know how to set up my e-mail. Sorry." she said shrugging her shoulders.

"That's ok how bought after school today we go get you that laptop and I'll help you set up your email." He said letting go of her arm.

"Ok, that's sounds good to me. But I don't know about my cousin Caroline she's a little over protective. I don't know if she'll like you much." She said to him as they walked to class.

"That's ok I get that a lot." He said laughing. Then he pulled out a pin and wrote his cell phone number in her hand.

"Call me when you're out of class." He said putting the pin back in his pocket and walking to his first hour class.

Sandra soon reached her class and took her seat. All her classes before lunch seemed to go really slow but after she had lunch with Devon she sped thru the rest of the day. She pulled out her flip phone and called Devon. It rang a few times and then he answered.

"Hello"

"Hi Devon it's Sandra"

"I've been waiting for you to call Sandra"

"Meet me in the parking lot in five minutes." Devon said hanging up his phone.

She did, she met him in the parking lot and he gave her directions to the local electronics store and he followed her there. When they got there she decided that she also wanted a palm pilot. So he helped her pick out the ones she wanted. When they were done they went directly to her house and they snuck in the front door as quietly as they could and went to her room. Devon took out every thing and began to set it all up. It took him a few hours but Sandra kept herself busy. She had taken off her shoes and she was laying on the carpet doing her homework while he was setting up her electronics.

When he finally finished he then showed her how to use them. She took the computer out of his hands and set it down on the bed and she took his hand and pulled him off of the bed.

"Come here I want to show you something, just follow me," She said pulling him by the hand onto the balcony and he followed her as she climbed up the ladder. Once they reached the roof they lie down on their backs staring up at the stars.

"Why are you here?" she said sitting up.

"What?" he asked confused.

"I mean why do you think we met? Why do you think we can't get each other off our minds?" she said thinking about it.

"Maybe we were supposed to meet." He said now sitting up right. "Maybe I need you and you need me. Maybe we're meant to be." He said as they both leaned in to kiss. But the moment was ruined when his cell phone rang.

"Hello," Devon said after shuffling threw his pocket and answering his phone. "No, I can't talk right now... No, I don't care who's playing... No, I don't want to come over... I'm with Sandra right now... Screw you." He said closing his cell phone and putting it back into his pocket.

"Do I even want to know?" she said scooting down towards the latter.

"It was just one of my stupid buddies." He replied scooting towards the latter behind her.

She reached the latter and climbed down towards her balcony. When they reached her balcony she kissed him.

"Maybe you should just leave off the latter so no one sees you. Call me tomorrow." She said and he began to climb down the latter and he waved goodbye.

That Saturday he took her out to a fancy restaurant and they talked about everything. They talked about life, love, happiness, what they expected in life, and what they were getting their degrees in.

After dinner they went to his apartment to have coffee.

"Well, I think I should be getting home," she said after she finished her cup of coffee. She stood up from the couch and grabbed her purse.

"You, don't have to leave," he said holding her hand. He stood up and he kissed her deeply...

The next morning she woke and she was alone in his bed. She could hear him cooking in the kitchen. She got out of bed and slipped on one of his shirts that was baggy on her. She slowly walked towards the kitchen and the aroma of breakfast surrounded her. After they had eaten she showered and put her clothes back on. They said their goodbyes and she went home.

They were together all through the next three years and they were both deeply in love. They were inseparable in every way. She slept at his house most of the time and he got to meet her family. Though she never met his because they lived so far away. Summer vacation they went to all kinds of tropical places and at the end of the summer every year Sandra, Caroline, and Devon always took Teresa and Tessa to the water parks. (Even if they had to go out of state to find one.)

Christmas was their favorite time of the year, she bought him Rolexes and he bought her diamonds and jewelry. She bought him a car and he bought her clothes.

In their fourth and final year of college Devon was named Valedictorian and of course Sandra came in second with a GPA of 3.95. She wasn't disappointed though she was just happy for him. He was preparing his speech all week long and that was the only time that they weren't together. When finally graduation came he was extremely nervous but as she always did Sandra calmed him down.

None of his family came to graduation because his mother had recently past away. The speech was beautiful; he spoke of accomplishments, disappointments, and responsibility. The very last line of his speech was "Sandra Douglas will you marry me?" he asked looking down at Sandra in her cap and gown. She looked up at him starry eyed and nodded her head yes. After the ceremony was over she ran to him like she had never run to anything before. She felt so blessed she was totally head over heels in love and now she was getting married. She had a degree and a family she had money and she was happy. He was her saving grace he made her stop and smell the roses as a mater of fact he sent her roses everyday of the week for a whole month and they had they had the sweetest smell she had ever experienced.

When she reached him she embraced him like she had no other and she never wanted to let him go any one she's ever let go of never came back. She was ready for this; she was ready to be married to him. She wanted to be together forever, but as perfect as it seemed ever relationship has it's problems.

One month to the date after they were engaged she was half way thru planning the wedding. He went back out to Arizona to acquire his things from his mother's house as his other siblings had so that the house could be sold. He flew in on a Wednesday and his younger brother picked him up at the airport. Unlike his two siblings they had both stayed and made a family in Arizona. Once they had reached his mother's house his brother Jonathan dropped him off and would come to pick him up three days later to drive him back to the airport.

Back in New Hampshire preparing for the wedding Sandra was writing up their marriage license and she began to write out their names. Sandra Douglas on one line and on the other Devon Morse. Devon Morse she had heard that before it reminded her of something. And then her heart broke in half, she was completely crushed. Morse, Ruben Morse was the name of the man she had killed. Oh god she had taken his father, she killed her fiancé's father. He was the son who never came to the courthouse. He was the son she had never seen, and now she was in love with him. Why him why did the perfect guy have to be him. The paper fell from her hands along with the pin. Tears began to stream down her face and she just felt like dieing. She felt like she was going to explode from the inside. She was in agony as she fell to her knees and wept till she didn't have any more tears. The heart that had been minded by his love and his trust was again ripped to shreds like a hopeless child against a bloodthirsty dog.

Meanwhile her fiancé was in his mother's attic looking thru old boxes for his things when he came along a box labeled DADDY in big letters written in permanent black marker. He opened the box and there sitting on top where all the articles his sister had cut out of newspapers about their father's death. The first one at the top read "Security Guard Murdered," these were all the articles that Devon avoided, he didn't read them ever, and he didn't acknowledge they were there. They didn't exist to him. Maybe he thought it was time to come to terms with his father's death so he began reading the words.

"17 year old Sandra Douglas and her brother 15 year old Ryan Douglas attempt to rob a local bank last Wednesday at around noon. Took thirty-two people hostage one of those was local security guard Ruben Morse who would not be leaving that after noon with his life. The two teens were leaving the bank with the money when Morse was on duty. He attempted to stop them and in the process Sandra Douglas shot Morse ten different times and killed him. He didn't make it..." Devon stopped reading and threw the article back in the box. Sandra, Sandra Douglas, as in his own fiancée Sandra Douglas. He was in love with a woman who killed his father. He would die for this woman, through himself in front of a train for this woman and she was the one who took his father from him.

He was so confused, he loved her more than anything he was really and truly in love with her like he had never been before. She had killed his father in cold blood is how it appeared to him. She hadn't any reason to kill his father, she just did because he got in her way. He was still confused he didn't know which way was right and which was wrong. Should I leave her because she killed his father or do we work out our problems because we're in love and get married? He stood up as tears streamed down his face and he threw his fists against the wall. He was so confused he hurt all over. He felt sick, betrayed, stabbed in the back, and beyond despair. Why did it have to be her, why did the perfect girl have to be her?

A few hours later Devon was on a plane back to New Hampshire and didn't have a clue what he was going to say to Sandra. Should he forgive her should he leave her he was very uncertain. The flight was about eight hours long and when he finally got there it was around three in the morning there so he decided to go for a drive. He drove everywhere he could think of that would help him make his decision. So he decided what he was going to do. He knew that she would be at his apartment so that's directly where he went.

When he reached his apartment he parked directly in front of it and he sat in his card for an hour trying to think of what he was going to do. Finally he climbed out of his car and walked to the door. He unlocked the door and saw Sandra sitting on the couch facing the TV that wasn't even turned on. She was staring blankly into the TV at the reflection of a murderer.

"We need to talk," he said closing the door behind him and going and sitting down on the opposite side of the couch. He looked over at her she had her legs pulled up to her chest and she was drinking coffee.

"Yes, we do." She replied.

"You killed my father?" he asked.

"Yes I did." She answered and tears started to pour down her cheeks though she didn't make a sound.

"I don't think that I can marry you any more." He said sniffling and whipping a tear from his eye.

"That's completely understandable," she said as the tears still came down and showed no sign of stopping. She put the cup of coffee down and pulled off her engagement ring. It was a fourteen karat gold band that was adorned with one large diamond in the center that was accented with one sapphire on either side of the diamond. She handed it to him and he put it in his jacket pocket.

"I'll give you a few days, I need you to get all of your things out of my apartment and you need to leave your key." He said getting chocked up.

"Ok, I'll do it as fast as I can." She said as she turned and looked at Devon.

"Fine, I'll be staying at a friends house." He said as he stood up and walked back out the door. "Good-bye." He said as he closed the door quietly.

Later the next day he was at one of his friend's house and they were watching a football game. At the end of the game the news came on and his friend was about to change the channel.

"Come on man, I want to see the weather." Devon insisted.

The anchorman soon read the headlines. "Millionaire Sandra Douglas was in her New Hampshire home when she fell down two flight of stairs and landed on her head. She was airlifted to the local hospital and she is labeled in critical condition tonight and doctors are not sure if she will make it." Devon just about died inside. He jumped up and threw on his jacket. He sped as fast as he could to the hospital. She couldn't die he loved her too much. This couldn't be the end they weren't over he took it back he did want to marry her and he wanted to grow old with her. He wanted to be with her more than anything else.

When he finally reached the hospital he ran to the desk.

"What room is Sandra Douglas in?" he asked the lady at the desk as he panted.

"She's in room one-fifteen, but you won't be able to see her right now." The lady behind the desk answered.

"Thanks," he yelled again running down the hallway. He reached the elevator and searched the directory for her room and eventually he found. He then took the elevator to the fifth floor and ran all the way to here room. The door was locked. He turned around and looked around and there sitting in chairs across from the door was Caroline and her two children. Teresa was hysterical, crying loudly about her aunt.

"How did this happen?" he asked Caroline and he was now completely out of breath.

"She was carrying a heavy box of her things from your apartment up the stairs when she tripped and fell two stories. The only one in the house was Teresa and luckily she called the police. You know you really crushed her, after you left she hadn't left her room in two days."

"She killed my father for no reason. What was I supposed to do." He said with his hands over his face.

"No reason? Didn't you hear the story? Your father killed her brother right in front of her and her brother was defenseless. She went off and lost control yah she was wrong but she had her reasons. She also lost both of her parents the month before she tried to rob that bank." She said turning away from him and holding Teresa tight.

"Oh my god what have I done," he said getting up and walking towards the door.

"Is Aunt Sandy gonna die?" Tessa asked pulling at her mother's shirt.

"I don't know yet sweetie," her mother replied.

Soon a doctor emerged from Sandra's room.

"How is she doc? Is she gonna make it?" Devon asked as the doctor closed the door.

"We don't know yet. She's in a coma and it doesn't look she'll be coming out of it soon. She might come out of it in a year that's all we can hope for. You can go see her now." The doctor said patting Devon on the shoulder.

The four of them slowly walked into the room quiet as they could. The three of the females came in and said their goodbyes for the night because it was getting dark and the two little girls had school the next morning.

"I'm gonna take the girls home and put them to bed, I'll see you tomorrow." Caroline said taking her daughters back to their car.

Devon took a chair from the corner of the room and sat it next to the bed where Sandra was laying. She was so solemn she looked so peaceful and she had drifted away from him.

"I don't know if you can hear me and really I don't care I just really need to say this. I really love you. I known this sounds corny but I can't live without you. I need you. I remember whenever we used to kiss I could feel your fingernails on the back of my neck. You were always chewing gum but not the bubblegum flavored kind it was that spearmint stuff. Every Christmas you made buttermilk pie that I had never heard of before I met you, and on my birthday you'd always made me vanilla cake with caramel chocolate frosting that you made from scratch. I fell in love with it like I fell in love with you. I'm sorry I didn't mean it I want to be with you I want for us to be together. I want to marry you and we can start our own family. You've made some mistakes that's ok we all do. I love you and I will wait for you until forever. I don't care how long it takes. I will marry you." Devon said as he pulled the engagement ring out of his pocket and put it back on her slender finger. The ring fit her perfectly as it always had.

It was true he would wait as long as he had to. Caroline would come in twice a week and do Sandra's nails. (After all she was a cosmetologist)

Devon was at the hospital every hour of everyday for three straight months. One night Devon had fallen asleep with his head upon her stomach. When he awoke he felt her finger nails stroking the back of his neck something he hadn't felt in what seemed like ages.

"Good Morning," she said and she smiled.

"Oh my god," he shouted, "you're awake."

"I came back because of you I could hear your voice everyday and you led me back. I want to get married right away." She said smiling and then she hugged him as tight as she could.

"Has anybody tolled you today that you're beautiful?" he said with a smile pulling back away from her.

"Is that line supposed to work on all the girls?" Sandra asked in a giggle.

"No, just this one." He replied and kissed her.

Two months later they flew to Paris and were married under the Eiffel Tower. The wedding was beautiful He wore traditional tuxedo and she wore a silk satin strapless wedding gown that had beads embroidered in at the bust and the very bottom. She was a flawless china doll that was getting the fairytale wedding. Her short blonde hair grew out to long locks of scarlet red and she removed her blue contacts to revel her emerald green eyes. They were too in love to let each other go. They were too in love to let an opportunity to experience happiness pass them up. So they lived happily together until the end of their days. This is my happily ever after. The End


End file.
